Ecuador Vacation

Jim and I decided to go to Cuenca, Ecuador on vacation this year…..a beautiful city where I lived in 2008-09. To see photos of my condo in Cuenca CLICK HERE.

View from the other window

We were able to catch up with a few friends there, and tour this amazing city and some of the outlying towns.

The Mansion Alcazar is a beautiful hotel and restaurant in Cuenca that was previously the home of a President of Ecuador.

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The architecture of Cuenca is one of the most delightful things about the city. Here are a few of the buildings that give you an idea of how it looks.

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One of the best examples of Spanish Colonial architecture comes in the form of the beautiful cathedrals of Cuenca…there are 22 of them. Continual rotation of restoration goes on year around. It takes about 5 years for them to make the entire rotation of all 22, and then it’s time to start over again…interiors and exteriors are kept in pristine condition. The very oldest cathedral was built in 1521 and is on Parque Calderon. Across the square is the largest one (with the famous blue domes), which was visited by Pope John and is the most opulent of all the cathedrals.

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I was able to catch up with a few friends who are still there, 7 years after I left.

L to R: Me, Jim, Mary Ann, Greg and Cameron at the beautiful old Hotel Victoria

There are fabulous carved wood doors and beautiful floors are in buildings all over the city….fun just to stroll around and look at them all. Here are a few.

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Parque Calderon is the main square and it is clean and beautiful.

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Cafes and restaurants serve really, really good food in a charming atmosphere.

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Christmas is a BIG time in Cuenca….here are some photos of the Christmas Parade taken when I lived there.

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We left Cuenca for the short ride to the smaller outlying towns of Chordeleg, Gualaceo and Utzuput and some photos of the amazing mosiac tile walls and plazas.

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We even had a day at a spa with hot mineral springs just outside of Cuenca in a little town called Baños, which means “bathrooms” in Spanish. We had massages, lounged by the pool, had lunch and enjoyed the hot springs.